A Promise of Peace

A letter in response to Adam Gopnik’s article (March 5, 2012)

As Adam Gopnik suggests, the power of the Book of Revelation lies in the archetypal story it tells of the struggle between good and evil, and in the book’s symbols, which have over the centuries been read as stand-ins for so many real-world people, institutions, and nations (“The Big Reveal,” March 5th). But the power of the book is also in the promise that Revelation delivers: “Behold, I make all things new.” It is a tender, earnest, and hopeful vision. The fortunate may not need to hear these words, but to the unfortunate—and this includes all of us at some point in our lives, even those who by some accident are blessed to live relatively prosperously and safely—they can offer more comfort than any Gnostic verse, however pleasingly poetic or mystical. Revelation is the ultimate repudiation of present suffering, a pledge of final redemption—whether you take “final” to mean the end of life, the end of an epoch, the end of the world, or the judgment weighed on each and every moment. This is what I look forward to when I read Revelation—not some lurid battle but a promise of peace.

Karen Lange

Takoma Park, Md.

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